AJ LANGENBAKER and Mitch Newman combined in a 31-run tenth wicket stand to steal victory from the plumbers’ hands on Friday.
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The two Tamworth Plaster Works Tigers bowlers were the heroes, Langenbaker making an unbeaten 14 and Newman an unbeaten 16 to reach 9-116 with four balls remaining and chase down the 115 total set by Halpin Plumbing Hurricanes.
All sides were missing some marquee players to the Country Championships and the scene was set early, the ever positive Matt Everett looking to get the game over and get on his way to the Gold Coast and Schoolies Week.
He went hard early but the keeper-captain fell at 16 to a good piece of work from Jack Richards gratefully accepted a return catch from Everett pushing forward.
Craig Baker smashed 24 from 21 opposite the captain and, when Tyson Rennie carried on with a top score of 25, the plumbers looked good.
Tigers captain Richie O’Halloran took some pace off the ball with Greg Tighe and ring-in Adam Penman and the run rate dried up as the Tigers clawed their way back to dismiss the Hurricanes for 115.
Six overs later that total became respectable on the back of some great bowling from seasoned Hurricanes quick Col Smyth.
“Our bowlers did really well to slow them down and get back in the game,” O’Halloran said.
Unfortunately the Tiger stand-in skipper ran out of form with the bat, a fine edge from Smyth hitting Everett’s gloves.
Penman followed three balls later without troubling the scorers.
Smyth had the ball on a string and was getting plenty of support from Gunnedah’s Jarrad Smith at the other end.
Smyth took the wickets of Matt Hughes (10) and Aaron Follington (7) as the Tigers were left reeling at 3-17, 4-36 and then 7-79.
The side consistently lost wickets to slump to 9-85.
“There were plenty of runs out there,” O’Halloran said.
“One and twos everywhere but we all just got ourselves out.”
As the wickets slipped away, so did the side’s chance of winning two in a row.
“I thought it was over well before that,” O’Halloran said.
“But I saw the boys at the crease and thought we could do it if they were careful.”
The final few overs saw some very nervous shots but also some nervous bowling.
Everett ran out of bowlers and had to take the pads off to bowl but it was all in vain.
In the other game, Steggles beat McDonald’s by seven wickets thanks to a swashbuckling 55 from Troy Sands.
The win took Steggles to the top of the T20 table on run rate from the Tigers.
